


spacedate

by Quinn_Oct



Series: Liar's Paradox [6]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Comfort, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, No Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Shuake Week 2020, day1, i guess?, it's not explicitly shuake tho, no beta we die like my sleep schedule
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27593911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinn_Oct/pseuds/Quinn_Oct
Summary: For ShuAke Week 2020 - Day 1 - Hope / Stars / FantasyAkira stares up at the plastic imitations, weak stars glowing from a wooden ceiling, trying its hardest to stay alight, to glow brightly for its owner, but the light can never be enough - can never compare to the authenticity of the heavenly bodies that adorned the midnight sky.Of borrowed lights and no real identity, he can never be enough. Forever lost in the stars of space, suffocating in the lack of oxygen.Good thing Goro is there to drag him back to Earth and dream of moving forward under the guidance of the night sky.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Liar's Paradox [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896790
Kudos: 18





	spacedate

**Author's Note:**

> Listening to this song on loop just filled me with weird immense joy... Seriously. I got all giddy and at one point put my hands on my cheeks and squeezed it while having a dopey smile. Idk either and I have no direction for this prompt. I just imagined our protag and Goro stargazing.
> 
> I used Akira instead of Ren here because.... Idk Akira's kanji means "dawn", but when used as a name it can also mean "bright" and Akechi also contains the kanji for "bright", so it seems to be a more suitable contrast for this impromptu space date.
> 
> Also I need to change his name up a bit cuz I keep calling him Ren :'D

The stars are dimming.

Their little greenish glow slowly losing its color the longer he stares at the ceiling. With each passing minute, the stickers use up their saved moonlight, growing dimmer and dimmer the longer it shines.

Akira closes his eyes.

He's not supposed to be here, inside his former bedroom at irrational hours of the day, inhaling attic dust under velvet skies, staring at childish, false imitations decorating a café's ceiling. Yet, true to his rebel image, he's present.

The clock reads midnight, with the faint ticking of the seconds telling him that time is running, time is moving; leaving the raven alone in the past. Akira sighs, moving his head slowly to the right, eyes landing on the leather of the makeshift ribbon tied around the handles of his bag. Soft, worn, and of dotted black, the glove sits still, accompanying him in this silent, lost night. A relic of the past, of a story lost in history, ties itself around his bag as a daily reminder of what he once was - of what he once had - of emotions that shook his core two years ago.

The glove is empty, tied, worn enough to the point of flexibility, yet it remains tied around a bag as decoration, fulfilling a role that was not meant to be its purpose. To warm hands and not to send chills, to shield from the chill winds, yet it brings him the cold reality, Ironically the glove has the teen wrapped around its leather finger.

The glove is not his, but Akira wonders if he himself is the gloves possession.

With a pity laugh, he looks up. Back to staring at the faux stars. They still stare down on him with their dimming light, 5-pointed directions providing false aesthetics. Like the glove, it lost its purpose. The moonlight is enough, the memory is enough, and it only serves to give him nostalgia, of stories left by the running time. Akira supposes that he'll soon join them, to only serve as a relic of 'before', to be worn and grow dim and try to be whatever he isn't.

A glove as a ribbon, plastic as stars, and Akira as mold.

LeBlanc's bell chime snapped Akira out of his stupor, and the teen quickly yet stealthily - well, as stealthy as his tired and sluggish self can be - grabbing whatever can be made into a weapon and make his way downstairs from the dusty attic. To his surprise, he was met with a wide-eyed Goro Akechi, a gloveless hand on the doorknob's lock, and the other holding a key. The surprise didn't last, however, and the silence died shortly after, courtesy of Goro. An exasperated sigh escaped the brunet's lips, a tone of teasing annoyance laced with fondness.  ** "I knew you would be here." **

** "Oh,"  ** Akira found himself mirroring Goro's teasing tone paired with his signature smirk.  ** "you were searching for me, detective?" **

The nickname came out so naturally from Akira's lips, a reminder of the past that he knows the older tried - and is still trying to, forget, and move on. The raven wasn't able to think his words thoroughly, his eyes quickly yet subtly looking for any sign of his mistake in Goro.

Thankfully, the brunet just continued with their regular banter, making his way further inside the cafe and playfully pushing the other aside. Akira saw a hint of a smile as his Goro passed. In that split second, Akira was struck with a sudden realization of what made him different from the other, despite their similarities.

Goro  _ is _ moving on, that much is true.

The young adult visibly shook his head and followed the former detective to the attic, hoping that the act of shaking head shook the thoughts out like how it shook his sight.

Making his way upwards, he saw the brunet comfortably sprawled in his former bed, his arms taking up most space while his lower body hanging on the mattress with his feet planted on the wood. Akira stifled a laugh at how different Goro had become throughout these couple of years.

** "Move, you took my spot." **

****

The brunet didn't move an inch.  ** "I don't see your name written anywhere." **

Akira smirked.  ** "As you can see,"  ** he walked towards the laying body, his torso leaning forward, hovering over Goro's own with his hands supporting his body from the wall. Goro's burgundy eyes were not looking at him, however, instead choosing to follow Akira's line of sight.  ** "I did put my name on the wall."  ** his finger traced carved lines only visible to the moonlight. Sure enough, the words  _ 'Kurusu Akira' _ can be seen at just the write angle beneath the windowsill. He looked down and saw Goro now staring up at him, his eyebrows in a confused position, yet his eyes showed amusement.  ** "Please don't tell Sojiro."  ** the raven murmured.

** "Still don't see it." **

** "What? I just showed you my proof even if it meant admitting to vandalism."  ** Akira huffed.

It was now Goro's turn to tease.  ** "I don't see the word 'Dumbass'." **

** "Ouch,"  ** Akira feigned hurt, a hand on his heart and an exaggerated expression.  ** "you've hurt me."  ** When he realized that he would get no response from the cold brunet, his hands fell from his chest and nudged one of Goro's thigh.  ** "Scooch over, give me space to at least sit."  ** Goro rolled his eyes but complied, putting his hands on his chest and moving his thighs from taking up space. Akira sat down and copied Goro's position from the sheets.

They laid down in blank silence, the now-unlived attic full of swirling dust and chill air. The rise and fall of their chest fell into sync, fluttering eyelids and equally blank stares shared between the two males. After the short moment of blank process, the raven snapped out of the reverie and donned his joyous mask.

** "Why are you here?"  ** Akira said suddenly, voice like a ripple in tranquil waters. He could tell by the subtle rise of the other's eyebrows, the slight widening of his eyes, and small intake of breath that he Goro was falling into the spell of silence before he dragged him out. Akira slightly felt guilt from disturbing his serenity but smirked outwardly in a show of friendly amusement. That was what Goro would have done, he thinks.

Goro gave him a side glare, a glare Akira knew meant nothing serious, nothing dangerous, and did not verbally answer. Instead, the older reached for the bag beside him, opening a zipper with one hand, and reached inside to hold up a familiar phone with a gray case. A phone Akira recognizes as his. His eyes must've widened because Goro let out a snicker, waving it around in the air before dropping it on the other's chest. Goro directed his gaze back up towards the ceiling.  ** "You left your phone on campus, you idiot. I was searching for you to return it." **

** "You know,"  ** Akira countered.  ** "You could've just returned it to me at the dorm, right? Why search for me instead?" **

It was Goro's turn to blush and look away. His silence was enough for Akira.

** "... You forgot your own keys, didn't you?"  ** his grin was wide, and it went wider when he saw the faint blush in Goro's cheeks, the pinkish hue illuminated by the blue moonlight.

** "Yes. I left my keys inside our dorm."  ** Goro sighed in defeat. Akira noted that Goro is not as petty as he was before, easily admitting defeat to their irrational bickering before it went further. The other scowled, his trademark grimace adorning his face, but there was less depth in his lines, less truth within his scowls.

Goro Akechi changed.

Before he could spiral down his pathetic trail of comparative thought, Goro breaks him out of it. Again.  ** "And you forgot your phone but brought your bag, so I already knew that you would most likely stay out late, or come to LeBlanc."  ** the brunet's voice fills the room, not leaving time to let the younger speak.  ** "And since I can't enter without the key, I might as well meet you here." **

** "You know me well, Goro. I'm flattered."  ** Akira puts a hand on his chest as emphasis, before looking to his right to face the other from his lazy position on the bed. Copper eyes stare back at him.  ** "So, what's the plan now?" **

** "Stay the night, I suppose."  ** Goro sighed and stared up at the wooden ceiling, the false childish plastic staring down on him the way it stared down on him. Goro doesn't seem to mind at all, and Akira wonders if the mocking light was a piece of his imagination or his growing frustration.  ** "The last train just passed, and my bicycle's tire went flat. I can't bring us both back to the dorm." "There's a repair shop nearby here, we can take your bike over there tomorrow morning."  ** Akira chimes in, offering help for his dormmate. Goro didn't need to speak for Akira to know that Goro accepted his offer.

Akira's eyes suddenly widened upon remembering the dorm.  ** "Do you think Morgana'll be alright in there alone?"  ** Goro faced his direction again, but this time with a look of incredulity.  ** "Akira, Morgana is over at Sakura-san's house tonight, remember? I wouldn't have gone to you if someone was inside our dorm to open up the lock ** ." Akira gave a sheepish look upon remembering, muttering a sorry before resuming his stare at his man-made stars.

Goro and he are roommates, dormmates. Call it fate or a lucky coincidence, but the moment when Akira walked into his new college dorm's room was the best in his entire life. A shocked, yet healthy Goro Akechi was sitting on their shared sofa, in comfortable pajamas and messy bedhead on that fateful day a year ago. He quickly put his breakfast down on the coffee table as soon as he saw Akira drop his belongings and tackle him in a hug on the sofa, crying into his faded featherman shirt and repeatedly muttering prayers and words of disbelief. Akira finds out that Goro had to stop one year into his education for therapy, and he is still going through therapy, but now decided to return to his studies. Goro worked multiple part-time jobs and cut his hair during that one year after the traumatic events, and is now working to more healthy coping mechanisms and to build himself back up. He started anew and is now changing towards a better self. This Akechi is okay with them being on a first-name basis, puts up with his flirty and touchy self, smiles more genuinely, speaks his mind more frequently, and does not care about the opinions others place on him.

Goro Akechi, whose reputation is torn and is now on probation, is now a free man from the chains of society. He is happy. Goro Akechi is now himself.

Akira can feel the chains around his neck tighten with every word thought.

** "I'm not good at this…" ** Goro grumbled before sitting up cross-legged on the mattress, moving his body so that he faces the closed window and turns the handle open. A cold gust of air hit the two, the neon stars glowing brighter in satisfaction **. "Get up ** ." the brunet motions to the raven. Akira stares up at him in confusion, storm grays looking up at eyes the look crimson by the moonlight. Goro ran a hand through his - now short - hair.  ** "It's evident that something is bothering you, and it looks stupid on your face." ** he says bluntly, something the former detective prince finds himself doing. Blunt and quick, no sugarcoating. Akira smirks, teeth showing, a teasing glint in his eyes sparkling, expression perfectly crafted to show his amusement.

** "Are you concerned about me, Goro? That's definitely rare."  ** Akira chuckled.  ** "It's nothing though. Don't worry about it." **

****

** "Bullshit,"  ** Goro responds immediately. His tone then turns softer, kinder, yet does not lose its straightforward bite.

Goro is blunt, Goro is quick, honest words and no sugarcoating. That's who Goro is, and Akira is both thankful and angry about that trait that is so uniquely his.

Akira lets go of all pretenses and accompany the older in stargazing. There was no use hiding anything with this Goro, with detective skill and keen eyes. Akechi waits for him to speak, a comfortable distance from the younger, both staring up at the scarce constellations found in a chilly Tokyo night.

** "I'm lost ** ."

Goro stays silent, and Akira thinks that this is what it means when his friends tell him that his silence is inviting, for the lack of response from Goro makes him want to fill the empty void between them. It never worked on him unless it's with Goro, though. Is that odd?

** "I feel tired of everything. I feel tired of trying ** ." Akira starts. He finds himself telling Goro everything: from the images he made to roles he has to keep, to masks he has to wear, and everything in between. He tells the brunet about things he cannot control, of his regrets and actions that spin him around like a puppet jumbled on strings. How he lost his own identity, how he dances around lies and tries to make then the truth, of everything tangled and everything messy. His life lacked order, his reflection shattered - he's nothing but a mirror to project images of expectations shone unto him, misguided and relying on the light shown to him from the stars in his life. All leading him to different directions, all leading him to a path he's unsure to take while the chains of the past keep him from straying.

He can't let go, he's unwilling to let go. Not when he finds his worth in the actions he took, not when he finds his identity through the image seen in others' eyes.

Goro stays silent as he speaks, his eyes never once drifting away from his, yet Akira can never get himself to look directly into the red, not when his eyes were so full of color - so alive, that his pales in comparison.

Multiple things have changed in two years, and everything is just a never-ending spinning wheel. Goro is the forward from his past, and Akira's the one lost in the dust.

** "I just don't know what to do."  ** The raven chuckles, a breathy, pity laugh escaping his lips. The moonlight was the only source in the attic, the soft rays casting a bluish glow to every corner and silhouette inside. The place, despite being mostly barren and plain, provided him comfort, albeit in little amounts, yet it is enough for him to breathe from his impromptu rant.

The silence from Goro continues, and Akira finds himself dwindling down with his anxiety. Was he supposed to talk more? Was it not enough? He'd told the brunet his entire truth, showed him his faceless, formless, most vulnerable soul, yet was it insufficient? It seemed that Goro was thinking, and the younger readies himself for the routine banter, to wear the mask of the confident Joker, who can handle any problem, any conflict handed to him.

** "But like I said, I'd get over it."  ** Akira grins, getting his hands on his fake glasses by the windowsill, wiping the slightly fogged up lenses from the cold sky.  ** "It's not a big deal anywa-" **

** "Just be yourself, Akira." **

Akira hand stills, glasses falling on the bed, face momentarily devoid of emotion whilst staring into their makeshift space. The expression was then quickly changed, the male facing the brunet with eyes that contain the stars, shining with ethereal light rivaling the fake luminescence of the glow in the dark patches.

** "I don't even know who I am." **

Goro answers in a heartbeat.  ** "But I know you." **

The older faced the open window, staring into the velvet blanket in the night sky, counting the stars that somehow cannot compare to the ones contained in Akira, despite its authenticity. The raven stared at the person beside him, the brunette's side profile highlighted by the soft glow of the moonlight with his back-illuminated by the faint light of the green stars. Akira patiently waited for a continuation, the next part of the statement from the older.

A beat passed by. Two beats. Nothing.

Inside the dingy attic, sitting cross-legged on a makeshift bed with the company of dust animals and cheap star decorations, Akira put his arms on the windowsill with his head over it and smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> It's technically the 17th but I just finished and it's the 16th somewhere in the world so I hope this counts. First time joining something like this so hope you all enjoyed!!


End file.
